{"id":370968,"date":"2026-04-09T09:17:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T09:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/370968\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T09:17:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T09:17:16","slug":"nine-european-houses-that-reinterpret-local-architecture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/370968\/","title":{"rendered":"Nine European houses that reinterpret local architecture"},"content":{"rendered":"

To inspire your entries to our new Dezeen Awards<\/a> Regional Showcases, we select some of our favourite, previously shortlisted houses in Europe.<\/p>\n

This year, every project entered into Dezeen Awards can also be entered into our Regional Showcases, three Top 50 lists chosen by our editors that will celebrate the best projects in three regions: Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia Pacific (APAC) and the Americas (AMER).<\/p>\n

Have you got a house to enter into our Top 50: Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) list?<\/p>\n

Find out more about our Regional Showcases here<\/a> and read on for previous standout examples of architecture projects in Europe that have been shortlisted in past editions of Dezeen Awards.<\/p>\n

\"Nina'sPhoto by French + Tye<\/p>\n

Nina’s House by Nina+Co and ROAR<\/a><\/p>\n

A cork exterior transforms this 1970s house, a deep retrofit undertaken by London<\/a> studios Nina+Co<\/a> and ROAR Architects<\/a>, into a low-energy, fossil-fuel free home.<\/p>\n

Dark expanded cork cladding was chosen for its durable and regenerative qualities, and its tactile surface has become a local talking point, transforming “a passive facade into a community touchpoint”.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Nina’s House \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"HousePhoto by Jim Stephenson<\/p>\n

House in an Olive Grove by Invisible Studio<\/a><\/p>\n

Nestled in a rural olive grove in Corfu, Greece<\/a>, British practice Invisible Studio<\/a> designed a minimalist concrete structure to serve as a “campsite” for the architects’ family.<\/p>\n

The building maintains a close relationship to its surroundings while creating flexibility for future modifications, a characteristic of local structures that “evolve slowly over many years”.<\/p>\n

Find out more about House in an Olive Grove \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"CaochanPhoto by Richard Gaston<\/p>\n

Caochan na Creige by Izat Arundell<\/a><\/p>\n

On a sheltered inlet in Scotland<\/a>‘s Outer Hebrides, Scottish practice Izat Arundell<\/a> has designed a remote house made from thick walls of local stone<\/a>, chosen to blend with the surrounding rocky outcrops.<\/p>\n

Full-height windows maximise striking vistas across the wild landscape, while wooden panelling lines the timber-frame structure to create a warm interior.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Caochan na Creige \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"BarneysPhoto by Joe Laverty Photography<\/p>\n

Barneys Ruins by Patrick Bradley Architect<\/a><\/p>\n

Local studio Patrick Bradley Architects<\/a> perched a cantilevered shipping container on 200-year-old ruins in Northern Ireland<\/a> in a “bold architectural statement”.<\/p>\n

The contemporary home sits on the site of an old farm<\/a>, alongside a converted barn that uses reclaimed materials where possible to create “a strong juxtaposition of old and new”.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Barneys Ruins \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"FelsenburgPhoto by Cyril K\u00e4ppeli<\/p>\n

Felsenburg by Sara Gelibter Architecte<\/a><\/p>\n

This coral-red monolithic structure, located less than a metre from a railway line above the old town of Biel-Bienne, Switzerland<\/a>, was vertically extended by Sara Gelibter Architect.<\/p>\n

The new volume is clad in corrugated fibre cement panels, extending the structure to create a modern living space while preserving the character of the protected building.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Felsenburg \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"NorthPhoto by Killian O’Sullivan<\/p>\n

North Sea East Wood by Hayhurst & Co<\/a><\/p>\n

At one of the highest points in the English seaside town of Cromer in Norfolk<\/a> sits this flint-clad<\/a> extension, making the most of expansive views across the North Sea, as well as inland to the East Wood.<\/p>\n

Local practice Hayhurst & Co<\/a> restructured the original 1980s bungalow<\/a> and introduced locally sourced flint to finish the extension in reference to vernacular East Anglian architecture.<\/p>\n

Find out more about North Sea East Wood \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Vejrh\u00f8jPhoto by Andrea Gatzke<\/p>\n

Vejrh\u00f8j by Studio Marshall Blecher and Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter<\/a><\/p>\n

Located in rural F\u00e5revejle, Denmark<\/a>, architecture practices Studio Marshall Blecher<\/a> and Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter<\/a> renovated this 1960s modernist summerhouse.<\/p>\n

A standalone extension was constructed alongside the original structure, which features an almost identical thatched gable roof, mimicking the “intricate craftsmanship” of the 1960s volume.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Vejrh\u00f8j \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"RinskopfPhoto by S\u00e9verin Malaud<\/p>\n

Rinskopf by Atelier Avondzon and Macadam Atelier<\/a><\/p>\n

Local studios Atelier Avondzon and Macadam Atelier wrapped this house in Ghent, Belgium<\/a>, in corrugated-metal<\/a> panels to mirror the site’s industrial surroundings.<\/p>\n

While the derelict brick structure was maintained, a blue sawtooth-roofed extension was added to accommodate the new kitchen and enhance the “factory-like aesthetic” of the home.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Rinskopf \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"ThePhoto by Schnepp Renou<\/p>\n

The Old Byre by Gianni Botsford Architects<\/a><\/p>\n

Set on a ridge on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom<\/a>, Gianni Botsford Architects<\/a> wrapped two old farm buildings in corrugated cement board to create a home, workspace and residency for visiting artists.<\/p>\n

The Old Byre blends seamlessly with the surrounding farm buildings, its historic barn structure preserved by the architects, while a new translucent facade allows daylight to softly fill the interior spaces.<\/p>\n

Find out more about The Old Byre \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

Enter by 27 May!<\/p>\n

Have you completed a similar project? Log in or create an account<\/a> via our entry platform to begin your entries. Submit your projects by 23:59 London time on 27 May!<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> for more information about Dezeen Awards and subscribe to our newsletter<\/a> for the latest news. Plus, you can always drop us a line at [email\u00a0protected]<\/a> if you have any questions.<\/p>\n

Dezeen Awards 2026 in partnership with Trimble<\/p>\n

Dezeen Awards is the ultimate accolade for architects and designers worldwide. The ninth edition of the annual awards is in partnership with global technology company Trimble<\/a>. Through connected hardware and software solutions, Trimble helps designers to transform the way they shape spaces and buildings as well as drive productivity in the process. Trimble’s collaboration with Dezeen Awards demonstrates its ongoing commitment to inspiring and supporting creative excellence across the globe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"To inspire your entries to our new Dezeen Awards Regional Showcases, we select some of our favourite, previously…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":370969,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[442,498,499,500,501,40294,156,111,139,69,1621,1774,40295],"class_list":{"0":"post-370968","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-dezeen-awards","14":"tag-entertainment","15":"tag-new-zealand","16":"tag-newzealand","17":"tag-nz","18":"tag-sectionall","19":"tag-sectionarchitecture","20":"tag-sectiondezeen-awards"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=370968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370968\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/370969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=370968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=370968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=370968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}